Integrated travel industry system

• US 20030144867A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Klein, James, Campbell, David E., Fitzgerald, Matt, Laughlin, Michael Keith, Garcia, Philip A., Schultz, Debbie L., Qualantone, Mike, Shapiro, Jean
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A system and method providing a centralized network for facilitating travel reservations and/or services The system comprises a network with hub sites that provide a centralized connection for Global Distribution Systems/Computer Reservation Systems, travel vendors, and travel office point of service terminals The travel office point of service terminals provide a plurality of modules for various travel related applications such as a low fare search module, a computer telephony integration module, a super passenger name record database, a customer database, a trip planning module, a customer relationship management module, a workflow module, and an integrated e-mail booking system.

Claims

1. An integrated travel industry system comprising

an integrated travel network having one or more centralized hub sites,

at least one Global Distribution System connected to each of said hub sites of said network, and

at least one point of service terminal connected to at least one of said hub sites of said network.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of travel vendors, wherein said travel vendors are connected to each of said hub sites of said network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said network comprises an ATM backbone network

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said point of service terminal comprises a customer service application tier, wherein said application tier includes at least one of

a low fare search module,

a computer telephony integration module;

a super passenger name record database,

a customer database,

a trip planning module,

a customer relationship management module,

a workflow module, and

an integrated e-mail booking system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said super passenger name record database comprises a plurality of itinerary records

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising

an e-mail database with a plurality of e-mail messages, and

wherein said network is further configured to provide Internet access.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said point of service terminal is configured to access said Internet and to access and display said plurality of e-mail messages.

8. A method of providing an integrated travel industry solution, comprising the steps of

providing an integrated travel network having one or more centralized hub sites,

connecting at least one Global Distribution System to each of said hub sites of said integrated travel network;

and

connecting at least one point of service terminal to at least one of said hub sites of said integrated travel network

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of connecting a plurality of travel vendors to each of said hub sites of said integrated travel network

10. A system for facilitating an integrated travel industry solution, said system comprising

integrated travel network having a plurality of centralized hub sites,

Global Distribution System connected to each of said hub sites of said integrated travel network;

a plurality of travel vendors, wherein said travel vendors are connected to each of said hub sites of said integrated travel network

a point of service terminal connected to at least one of said hub sites of said integrated travel network, said point of service terminal configured to access said Global Distribution System and said plurality of travel vendors. said point of service terminal comprising at least one of

a low fare search module,

a computer telephony integration module;

a super passenger name record database,

a customer database,

a trip planning module;

a customer relationship management module,

a workflow module, and

an integrated e-mail booking system.